TC Transcontinental Packaging introduces its ASTRA Heart, the Artwork, Science, and Expertise Analysis and Functions Heart, primarily based in Menasha, Wisconsin, USA and the results of a number of months of labor. This 12,200 square-foot facility helps allow the corporate to innovate and establish sustainable options for its clients. It’s residence to a workforce of greater than 20 engineers who’re the driving power behind each problem solved and innovation created for its clients.
“Over the previous years, now we have aligned our investments and technique to satisfy our clients aims and objectives,” stated Alex Hayden, Senior Vice President, R&D, Innovation and Sustainability. “The ASTRA Heart is on the core of our operations to drive development and innovation and be the sustainability associate to our clients. The numerous assessments, devices, and expertise obtainable to us present enhanced product improvement data by way of the complete means of versatile plastic packaging design, permitting the event of modern movies for sustainability, e-commerce, and extra.”
Four completely different R&D labs and a workforce of sustainability gurus, model house owners and retailers can profit from a deep experience in compostable, recyclable, and recycled content material packaging, elevated velocity to market from idea to commercialization, optimized options for efficiency and value, and turnkey packaging options.
The Analytical and Testing Companies Lab performs bodily testing to simulate actual life use of the package deal from filling to transportation and distribution. It measures shelf life and client finish use with analytical testing to develop molecular constructions that meet the packaging performance necessities all through its whole life cycle.
The Functions and Packaging Growth Lab is geared up with a 9-layer blown extrusion line which permits designed experiments and optimization of movie formulations. The lab consists of FFS equipment to carry out production-scale buyer prototypes. This FFS testing is designed to realize insights on how movies will carry out, keep away from any surprises on clients’ gear, and guarantee packaging efficiency and effectivity as soon as the event stage is accomplished.
The Superior Compost Lab is totally built-in with the R&D workforce’s experience and data to develop the following era of packaging and enhance the turnaround time and value for certifying compostable packaging. The lab is accredited, beneath unbiased auditing, to adapt to ISO 17025 and is provided to check and meet ASTM 6400 requirements for compostable packaging.
The Recycling Expertise Lab, anticipated to be totally operational in 2022, will full the R&D suite of experience with an in-house recyclability evaluation lab. The lab will measure every side of a package deal designed for trade accepted standards, to make sure that it’s really recycling appropriate, per the design tips obtainable within the trade. The lab will embrace an extruder, a recycled plastic pelletizer, and can enable the workforce to research post-consumer resin, waste supply, and gel rely for higher outcomes and package deal efficiency.
Learn extra about TC Transcontinental Packaging’s sustainability efforts
Heather Acuff, a third-year Ph.D. scholar at Kansas Metropolis College, believes collaboration is crucial in establishing such a library of information and standardizing software of instruments like LCA. Her co-speaker through the webinar, Rebecca Casey, senior vp of selling and technique for TC Transcontinental Packaging, additionally pressured the need for collaboration and defined how her firm companions with a number of non-profit organizations and associations on its quest to create and encourage sustainable pet meals packaging. These entities are quintessential examples of collaboration which might be capable of appeal to rivals and encourage them to work collectively, simply as PFI, AFIA and others did with FDA to create new pet meals security protocols.
